Chapter Three - New Man

Astrid’s POV

My heart is racing, crawling up my throat like a rejected meal, making me feel like I’m going to collapse on the street. I look at my watch again, seeing that it’s fifteen minutes before eight, which is the time of my first class for the day.

And yet here I am still, power-walking to Delta Kappa, the fraternity house where my boyfriend stays at.

“Hey, Astrid!” one of the frat boys from Delta Kappa greets me as he sees me running up the porch. I forgot his name completely, but I remember him to be one of the friendly ones. “Cade’s still inside.”

“Oh, I know,” I mutter under my breath, barging into a room full of men watching a workout video on their gigantic TV while they all lift weights.

“Astrid,” they all say in unison as a greeting, and I just nod at them, rushing up the steps where the rooms are.

The boys of Delta Kappa tick pretty much every stereotype for frat boys: they’re all rich, handsome, muscular, and just a tad dim. My boyfriend Cade Franco is not any different from any of them. He’s blond, blue-eyed, perfectly tanned and toned. We’re both studying literature. He comes from a rich family here in Los Angeles, and everyone pretty much wonders how we got together, even though they’re too polite to ask.

That’s what I can say about the students of Mountcrest University. A whole lot of them may be judgmental, but not a lot of them would say anything to your face. I guess that’s a good thing for me, especially since I’m one of the very rare students who dare to infiltrate a university for elites while on a scholarship.

Yes, I had to get here on a full scholarship. My estranged parents were not supportive of me moving all the way across the continent, even though they never really cared about what I do with my life.

I cut them off completely now, relying on a part time job at a nearby cafe for pocket money, all the while studying hard to maintain good grades to keep the scholarship.

Which is why I can’t afford to even be one minute late.

I tap my knuckles against the door, my pulse racing as I hear nothing but silence from inside.

Cade is still sleeping.

“Cade, open up,” I call out, now almost ramming my entire fist through the door. “Hey, Cade!”

“You know you can just come in,” another one of his frat brothers sweep in to tell me. “We know you, and you’re always here to wake that bozo up. Just get in.”

He raises his eyebrows as though to challenge me, so I heed his advice. Anyway, he is correct. I’m a familiar figure in this frat house, that’s why no one bats an eye when I come in to wake up Cade.

So, I turn the doorknob and march right in.

And I am correct. Cade is still fast asleep, cocooned in his blanket like a baby and snoring lightly. He doesn’t even flinch when I close the door behind me. I walk up to him, turning him around on his bed, but he just keeps sleeping, his face almost angelic now that’s relaxed.

“Cade,” I whisper, touching his cheek. “You need to wake up. We’re going to be late.”

I pat his face a couple of times, my patience slowly starting to wane. I’m about to make a big noise to shock him awake, but then his eyes flutter open. He takes one look at me, then he bursts into a big smile. “Baby.”

I smile back. “Hey, you need to--NO!”

The rest of my words get drowned when suddenly, Cade wraps his big arms around me and wrestles me right into the bed. I land in his sea of blankets and pillows, and before I can get up, he playfully positions his body over mine and starts to kiss me.

His lips press on mine, moving softly at first. When I gasp, he takes the chance to part my lips with his and slide his tongue inside to tease me.

I kiss him back. I always do.

But I always feel nothing too.

It’s annoying. It’s sad. I have this wonderful boyfriend who would do anything for me. He’s sweet and funny and kind. From the very start, when we met at the freshmen mixer at my very first night here, he already showed interest in me and never faltered ever since, even after I agreed to be his girlfriend.

This is my first relationship, and I managed to land a boy many girls here would kill for. I have gained envy from a lot of girls because I’m the one he chose. I should be overjoyed right now. I should be kissing him back with all the urgency and need of someone who’s in love.

However, I am not in love with him.

So, I push him away from me, gently so I won’t hurt his feelings. I fake another smile as he plants small kisses all over my face, and I say, “You need to get up. We’re going to be late.”

“I know,” he says in a whiny, adorable tone. “But I want you.”

Just as he says that, I feel something rock hard between us, and I immediately get what he’s saying. My mouth goes dry.

“Cade,” I begin, trying to hide my discomfort, “we agreed about this. We will have our first time on your birthday.”

“I know,” he says again, burying his face into my neck and planting soft pecks on me. “But waiting sucks.”

Guilt washes over me. The only reason why I put him off for so long is not because I’m a virgin and I’m scared. No. It’s because as hard as I tried, there’s still only one person who invades my thoughts.

I shake my head, getting rid of it. I wriggle out of Cade’s grasp and hold out my hand to him. “Waiting will be worth it.”

The happiness on his face that follows that fills me with even more guilt, but it works for him. He gets up and gets ready quickly, knowing about my scholarship and how I need to stay on top of everything.

With about three minutes to spare, we arrive at the Literature lecture hall together.

As soon as we sit down together, my close friend Penelope instantly gives me a smack on the arm.

I gasp. “What was that for?”

“For worrying me,” she hisses, even though Professor Wesley isn’t there yet. “I was waiting for you, and I really thought you wouldn’t come.”

I show her my watch. “We were right on time. Professor Wesley is the one who’s late.”

Another friend of mine, Beatrice, taps my shoulder from behind, leaning over to us. “Well, I know why that old fart is late.”

“Why?” Penny asks.

She lowers her voice into a conspirational whisper. “Because he’s been fired.”

“What?” I splutter. I look at Cade to see if he just heard this shocking news but surprise surprise, he’s not listening. He’s on his phone. I roll my eyes. “What happened?”

“Apparently he got caught trying to get it on with a teacher assistant,” Beatrice says, letting out a nervous laugh. “The dean fired him right on the spot. Like, this news has been circulating all morning.”

Penelope’s eyes sparkle. “Does this mean that today is a free day?”

“No, sis.” Beatrice stops her with a raised finger, flicking back her long braids. “We got a new professor coming in today. Apparently they had to make a really quick hire, and this person happened to be applying for a position here. My roommate claims that she’s seen him and apparently he’s a real looker, but I don’t trust her judgment.”

“I mean, didn’t your roommate think Professor Wesley the old fart had some silver fox thing going on?” Penny says.

I wince. “Ew. Come on, the new professor can’t be that hot--”

“Good morning, everyone. I apologize for being late.”

The sudden sound of the male voice echoing in the lecture hall makes me stop. But it’s not because it’s the first sign from the new professor. It’s because of the painful familiarity in that voice.

Suddenly, my throat is too tight. I can’t even bring myself to look away from Beatrice and Penelope, who are already looking down at the podium in the middle of the room. Time seems to be slowing down, and I want it to just freeze.

But I can’t.

And a strong force that doesn’t seem to belong to me is compelling me to turn around and look at the sound of the voice.

So I finally do.

Standing in the middle of the room, like a mirage, like a dream turned bad, is none other than Klaus Slater.